Challenge to Mr Rowling

Press, Volume CXV, Issue 33995, 8 November 1975, Page 1

Challenge to Mr Rowling

<Xew Zealand Press Association)

HASTINGS, November 7.

The Leader of the Opposition (Mr Muldoon) tonight challenged the Prime Minister (Mr Rowling) to make public any secret agreements he may have with the British Government not to restrain imports in return for support in the E.E.C. negotiations.

Mr Muldoon issued the challenge at an election meeting in the Municipal Theatre, Hastings.

' He said he would raise the matter of the “interfering” by the British High Commissioner (Sir David Scott) in the New Zealand elections with the iritish Foreign Secretary (Mr, James Callaghan)— “failing a satisfactory explanation.”

Mr Muldoon said Sir David had taken an extraordinary action in making a controversial statement on the question of restraint of importing, which was becoming an election issue. “I find it quite extraordinary that the British High Commissioner should publicly threaten that if we restrain imports from Britain, Britain would retaliate by being less helpful to New Zealand in our E.E.C. negotiations.

“The Prime Minister has come out in support of this view, thus further exacerbating the matter.”

Mr Muldoon said he had several friends in the British Cabinet who had given him the strongest personal assurances of support for New Zealand without qualification — “and I underline without qualification.” “We have this link, which is a tie of blood, not a tie of bargaining and threats. And I cannot believe that Sir David Scott was authorised by his Government to make thL kind of a threat which could only be harmful to the relationships between New Zealand and the United Kingdom.

“If imports have to be restrained, they will be restrained regardless of the /country of origin, because Today restraints on importing

are not imposed by New Zealand on a country-to-country basis, but in terms of the item to be imported. “Failing a satisfactory explanation from Sir David, I had proposed to raise the matter personally with Mr Callaghan, who I know has a warm regard for New Zealand.

“Sir David has not yet returned to Wellington, but discussions with the British High Commission this afternoon suggest that what he was referring to was not restraint on imports generally — the matter at issue in the election context — but any action which worsened the position of British imports as against imports from other countries.

“If that is so then clearly the position taken by the Prime Minister does not, in fact, have the support of the British Government. Heckling Persistent boos and heckling interrupted Mr Muldoon during his address. A hostile element among the crowd of about 1100 kept up a running barrage of interjections and frequently boos overcame clapping as Mr Muldoon outlined the National Party’s policies. This time he did not have things virtually all his own way when he raised detailed National Party policies on sporting contacts with South Africa. Shouts of "Racist!” echoed around the hall. (P.M. defends Sir' David, Page 3)